Words of Wisdom:
Make sure to take advantage of all the opportunities
Western has to offer. Joining a club, student organization, or
playing a sport can help you get involved and make the most of your
college experience.

Alexandra
Baum

Hometown: Brookfield, CTMajor:Pre-Nursing

Words of Wisdom:
Be involved, don't be afraid to do something you never
thought you would. Don't be nervous, Western has a wonderful staff
to help you through this new experience, we're here to help!

Brent
Bailey, Jr

Hometown: New Haven, CT
Major: Psychology

Words of Wisdom:
Never Give Up, Never Surrender. New students should
experience all the opportunities that Western offers, enter Western
with an open mind.

Alexandra Mercado (Lexie)

Hometown: East Hartford, CTMajor:Psychology

Words of Wisdom: Get involved as much as you can! Don't
be afraid to try something new, although it may seem hard at times
just keep swimming! You're never alone. Don't be afraid to ask
questions about getting adjusted to college life, Western has a lot
to offer!

Words of Wisdom:
Get involved on campus. Ask questions. Take advantage of
all the opportunities around you. Western may seem like a small
school at first but it has so much to offer, from a plethora of
clubs and organizations to trips in NYC and Boston, and from a
variety of internships to so many study abroad opportunities. Make
the most of what the school gives you. I personally fell in love
with campus and the people and have gotten so much more out of my
experience here than I ever expected to.

Ariana Mesaros

Hometown: Bridgeport, CT
Major:
HPX

Words of Wisdom:
College can be as fun as you make it! Take advantage of
all the opportunities you can, you'll never get as much free stuff
as you do in college! Since I started I became a part of the
cheerleading team, the recreation department and SGA. It is such a
good way to build a social network but it can be overwhelming coming
in as incoming freshman, so I'm here to help!

Words of Wisdom: College is
a time to be the person you've always wanted to be. Reach your full
potential and when you think you've reached it set higher goals for
yourself. Make college what high school wasn't. Take advantage of
every opportunity, no matter how small. Get involved! Go to class;
do not let skipping become a habit! Make the balance between social
activities and academics because at the end of the day you're here
to get an education! Reach out and say you need help, use the
excellent resources that Western has to offer! You have more control
than you may think, take control!

Jake Lipinsky

Hometown: Seymour, CT
Major:
Biology

Words of Wisdom:
Go to every event possible! It will make your
college experience a lot better, help you meet people, make friends,
and become involved in your campus!

Jeff
Field

Hometown: Brewster, NY
Major: Finance

Words of Wisdom:Get involved like I did! I am a Senator on the Student
Government, and a brother of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. My favorite
part of Western has to be the support system available to all
students. A large portion of the faculty here are willing to offer
their time, and expertise to any student that reaches out to them.

Kaleigh Cragan

Hometown: Oxford, CT
Major:
Communications

Words of Wisdom:
I'm involved in Hall Council and the
Shadowing Program. A quick tip of advice I'd give to any incoming
students is to stay involved around campus - it's a fun and exciting
way to learn new things and make awesome friends! Good luck class of
2018!

Louise Carrozza

Hometown: Meriden, CT
Major: Music Education, Voice

Words of Wisdom: Be
vulnerable and put yourself out there! Everyone is in the same boat
as you, so take advantage of this opportunity to make new friends.
I hope to spark some excitement in the new students as they get
immersed in the Western community- their new home.

Marissa Theriault

Hometown: Southington, CT
Major:Marketing

Words of Wisdom: To all the
incoming freshmen, take a deep breath because you're about to make
some amazing changes in your life and have a great time. I decided
to become an Orientation Leader because I was terrified of coming to
college, but after being at WCSU for three days, I absolutely loved
it. The programs put on by the Orientation Leaders helped me to meet
my friends and start making the most out of my college experience!

Bryan Sebastian Orellana

Hometown:
Danbury, CT
Major:Computer Science and Mathematics.

Words of Wisdom:
"Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone.
Have an open mind and experience new and different things." Branch
out and have a successful first year!

Jessica Tryon

Hometown:
Oakdale, CT
Major:
Pre-Nursing

Words of Wisdom:
"only you can control your future" - Dr. Seuss
- Get
involved with organizations on campus that fit what you love! Have
pride in Western like I do!

Ciera Clarke

Hometown: Bridgeport, CT
Major: Social Work

Words of Wisdom:
Trust your heart - choose the course of study that
interests and inspires you, and throw yourself into it. Don't choose
a path merely because it satisfies the expectations of others, or
because it seems prudent. You're a good kid - take a chance on
yourself. Get excited about school and the great new opportunities
Western has in store for you!

Jerry DeJesus

Hometown: Kensington, CTMajor: Psychology

Words of Wisdom:
I would advise all freshmen to take a chance and join a
club that they would not have considered in high school. Along the
way you'll meet some great people just don't be afraid to take
chances at a new school with great opportunities to offer.

Jose Lebron

Hometown: Danbury, CTMajor:Illustration & Graphic
Design

Words of Wisdom:
College is an opportunity to explore and test your
boundaries of where you may want to be in the future and the best
way to start that is by getting involved on campus.

Krystal Arroyo

Hometown: Waterbury, CTMajor: Nursing

Words of Wisdom:
To all the new students, this is a brand new chapter in
your lives. You might be nervous, scared, and even afraid to be on
your own. Trust me, I was just in your position. But, the people you
meet here and the experiences you have, will make up for that.
You're going to learn to be independent. You're going to experience
stress, but that's okay because every single college student
experiences stress on a daily basis. I want to welcome you on your
new journey, and as an Orientation Leader, I will be there if you
need someone. I chose to be an OL because I was in your shoes once
and I want to be able to help you with anything you need. Good luck
Class of 2018!

Kyle Venditti

Hometown: New Milford, CTMajor:Professional Writing with a Concentration in
Creative Writing

Words of Wisdom:
My advice for new students is to get involved as much as
possible. College is an experience that is determined by what you
put into it, so try your best in classes, study and have fun with
many new people and you'll do great here! I want to be an
Orientation Leader to help make new students comfortable here at
Western and show them all opportunities for them to succeed here.
But above all else, College should be a fun experience, and looked
back on ten years after graduation with jubilant memories. Have fun!

Jessica
Richards

Hometown: Brookfield, CTMajor:
Elementary Education/Psychology

Words of Wisdom:
My advice for the new students is to get involved! Joining
clubs and organizations is the best thing you can do to feel
involved and get the most out of Western. Also, enjoy college while
it's here, it really is the fastest four years of your life.

Ryan Noel

Hometown: Stamford, CTMajor:Computer
Science and MIS

Words
of Wisdom:
Take it all
one day at a time.

Jessica
Torres

Hometown: Meriden,CTMajor:Social
Work

Words of Wisdom: The staff and faculty
here at Western are amazing; never fear reaching out for support
when you really need it. But, most of all, get involved on campus,
it is a great way to meet new people and to give back to our school
community.

"It is better to be a FAILURE at something you LOVE than to
be a SUCCESS at something you HATE."